A comprehensive local SEO audit helps you identify issues holding back your rankings and opportunities for improvement. Use this checklist to evaluate your current local SEO status.
Google Business Profile Audit
1. Is your listing verified?
2. Is your business name accurate (no keyword stuffing)?
3. Is your address complete and correct?
4. Is your phone number correct?
5. Are your hours of operation accurate?
6. Have you set special hours for holidays?
7. Is your primary category the most specific accurate option?
8. Have you added all relevant secondary categories?
9. Is your website URL correct and working?
10. Have you written a complete business description?
11. Have you added your services or products?
12. Have you uploaded at least 10 high-quality photos?
13. Do you have a logo and cover photo?
14. Have you added all applicable attributes?
15. Is messaging enabled (if appropriate)?
16. Have you populated the Q&A section?
Review Audit
17. What is your current Google star rating?
18. How many total Google reviews do you have?
19. Are you receiving reviews consistently?
20. Have you responded to all reviews?
21. Are negative reviews addressed professionally?
22. Do you have a review generation strategy in place?
23. Are reviews mentioning your services and location naturally?
Website Audit (Local Focus)
24. Is your NAP displayed on every page?
25. Does your NAP match your GBP exactly?
26. Do you have a dedicated contact page?
27. Is there an embedded Google Map?
28. Do you have location-specific pages (if multi-area)?
29. Are local keywords in your title tags?
30. Are local keywords in your content naturally?
31. Have you implemented LocalBusiness schema?
32. Is your site mobile-friendly?
33. Does your site load quickly?
34. Is your site secure (HTTPS)?
Citation Audit
35. Are you listed on major directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.)?
36. Is your NAP consistent across all citations?
37. Are you listed on industry-specific directories?
38. Are there any duplicate listings that need consolidation?
39. Are any citations showing old/incorrect information?
Link Profile Audit
40. Do you have links from local sources (Chamber, local news)?
41. Are you listed in local business associations?
42. Have you earned any local media coverage?
43. Do partners or suppliers link to you?
Competitive Audit
44. How do your reviews compare to top competitors?
45. What categories are competitors using?
46. What citations do competitors have that you don't?
47. What content are competitors creating?
Tracking and Analytics
48. Is Google Analytics properly configured?
49. Are you tracking local ranking positions?
50. Do you have call tracking in place?
How to Use This Checklist
Go through each item and note whether it's complete, needs improvement, or not done at all. Prioritize fixes based on potential impact: GBP issues first, then reviews, then website, then citations and links.
Conduct this audit quarterly to catch new issues and track progress over time. Local SEO isn't set-it-and-forget-itβit requires ongoing attention.
For each issue you find, create an action item with a deadline. Small improvements compound over time to create significant ranking gains.
Consider using a spreadsheet to track your audit findings and progress on each item. This creates accountability and helps you measure improvement over time.
